WataMote Chapter 097
私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m Not Popular! Synopsis Sometime during the evening, Mrs. Kuroki gives Tomoko some money to buy lunch the following day since she will be busy. The next day, as she walks to school, Tomoko first thinks she should buy lunch from a convenient store, but she then decides on another course. The main page shows Tomoko approaching the seated Yuri while Mako and Uchi, Hina and Okada, and Kiyota and his unnamed friends all talk in groups in the background. The narration reads, "Gather Your Courage and Step Forward." Tomoko shyly asks asks Yuri if she would like to eat at the cafeteria with her, but Yuri already brought lunch from home. Tomoko resolves to go to the cafeteria alone. Tomoko ends up sitting with no one which she feels is weirder than being alone in a classroom. Her imagination kicks in, and she becomes the "Lady of Black," a student of beauty and mystery who intimidates the other students. Hina and her friends find the cafeteria crowded until she spots Tomoko sitting alone. She asks if her group can sit with her. Startled, Tomoko coughs food over her face before inviting Hina to sit. As the students sit and thank her, Tomoko struggles to maintain her new "cool" image. She views herself as if she is sitting some distance from the table with the rest of them. Suddenly, a voice discussing how udon is disgusting startles her again as she eats it: "But man, Kuroki-san, I didn't know you were that kind of person!" Tomoko notes to herself how Hina hides her desire to be a voice actress and wonders if the rest hide their inner selves to enjoy high school. Kiyota talks about how bored he is after school, then asks Tomoko directly what she does at home. Tomoko at first does not feel she can reveal she watches anime, reads manga, and plays games, but since Hina wishes to be a voice actress, Tomoko concludes that she is an otaku and'' she can at least discuss ''anime with them. When she mentions anime, Hina only responds with "oh I see," but Kiyota eagerly asks her for recommendations. Tomoko stammers a recommendation. Kiyota remembers Ogino talking about some student wanting to be a voice actor, which he admires. Okada asks Hina directly, since she is looking into liberal arts colleges, if she is interested in voice acting, but Hina denies it. Feeling guilty that she brought up the topic in the first place, Tomoko says she wanted to be a voice actress to move the attention away from Hina, and she talks about some violent anime. After school, Hina stops Tomoko to tell her she hated the anime she mentioned since she hates violent anime. She surmises that Tomoko brought up anime because of her. She confesses she does not feel comfortable talking about anime around others and asks Tomoko to discuss it with her only when they are alone. As Hina walks away, Tomoko concludes that "normies" have their own share of troubles, and she thinks she may be better off now. Characters In order of appearance: *Tomoko Kuroki *Mrs. Kuroki *Yuri Tamura *Mako Tanaka (cover) *Emiri Uchi (cover) *Hina Nemoto *Akane Okada *Yoshinori Kiyota *Ogino (mentioned) Referbacks *Tomoko remembers that Hina wanted to be a voice actress, which she learned in Chapter 90. *Okada mentions that Hina wanted to go to a liberal arts college, which was also in Chapter 90. Trivia *Yuri brings her own lunch instead of buying one. *Udon *Kiyota has no real goal in life and simply wants to go to college so he can mess around for four years. Cultural References *''Ahoge'': As the imaginary "Lady of Black" Tomoko has this cowlick. *''Attack on Kabaneri ''(進撃の屍・''shingeki no kabane''): the anime Tomoko mentions references both Attack on Titan and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. Attack on Titan is actually "Advance of Giants" (進撃の巨人・''shingeki no kyojin''). *'Slice of Life:' with link to a list of examples. Memorial Moments *Tomoko actually approaches someone rather than wait for others to come to her and inwardly rages when they do not. *Tomoko acts to save another from embarrassment. *Hina reveals her hobby to Tomoko. Quotes *"Yeah! I've pretty much painted myself as a light novel heroine! This can work!" – Tomoko *"I hate that anime by the way. Actually, I hate pretty much any anime that's got violence and death in it." – Hina Gallery Tomoko_Black_Lady_c97.png|Tomoko rationalizes eating alone in the cafeteria. Tomoko Udon Startle c97.png|Tomoko is startled while eating udon when someone addresses her. Navigation Category:WataMote Chapters Category:Volume 10